Welcoming a new pet into your home can be challenging, but it can feel downright impossible if you’re also launching a small business from home at the same time. A Home 4 Spot Animal Rescue offers four tips to help you keep your business afloat, keep your furry new family member happy and keep your sanity at the same time.
Define Your Pet’s Space ASAP
Your new pet needs to know where her headquarters are immediately. This allows your pet to define her space and have a familiar location in your home to return to as needed. Ideally, this spot will be near your home office or workspace, especially if there’s an elevated noise level there due to printers, phone calls or music.
By establishing your workspace upfront, you allow your new pet to accept those sounds as normal from the start. In time, the hum of your scanner or pencil sharpener may even provide comfort for your pet.
Shower Your New Pet With Attention
No matter where she called home before she joined your household, your new pet is going to be needy. This is often especially true with rescue animals, who may have spent significant time in the wild, on their own, hungry and on high alert for threats.
Make a point to play with your new pet often, and don’t skimp on the snuggles. Brush your cat’s hair while a program runs. Rub your dog’s belly while you’re muted on a conference call. Multitasking is just one of the many perks of running a business from home.
Find a Reliable Pet Sitter
Even the most doting pet parents need a break once in a while — especially if they also run a home-based business. If you need an hour or two without your pet, enlist the help of a pet sitter or dog walker. There are a variety of resources available online that can help you find a good fit for your animal.
Stick to a Routine
Just like kids (and plenty of adults!) pets thrive on routine. It’s how they make sense of their days: They wake up at the same time, they eat at the same time and they go outside at the same time. Predictability provides comfort.
As such, creating a routine and sticking to it is vital to the acclimation process. This may mean that you have to stop yourself in the middle of a task for work, but these interruptions will pay off in the long run as your new pet quickly settles into the rhythms and rituals of your home business.
Take Care of the Details
Launching a new business requires careful attention to a lot of details, and you don’t want anything to fall through the cracks, especially if you need to split your time between work and your new companion. Make a point now to check off certain tasks that you can handle easily and quickly, freeing up space in your schedule for big-picture business work and quality time with your pet.
For example, now’s a great time to form a limited liability company. Setting up a Nevada LLC legally separates your personal finances from your business finances. This creates flexibility and an assortment of tax advantages. It’s also a simple process that can be completed online in most states using a formation service, which can save you time and expense. In addition to registering your business, you can also get your business license and permit, open a business bank account and even find helpful accounting software.
A new pet doesn’t have to derail the start of your business venture. Focus on making your new addition feel safe and loved, and it won’t be long before you can’t remember life without your shaggy new co-worker.
Article by Brandon @Furandfeathers.info
Photo by Samson Katt from Pexels